Moonstruck
by xXxRedGypsyxXx
Summary: Escaping a certain somebody, Allen makes a reputation as a stylist in the newly revitalized Echo Village and is even thinking of asking out Farmer Rio. However, when his ex-girlfriend, the #1 person he wants to avoid, shows up, his plans turn to dust. Will he find a way to get rid of her or have to make a hasty escape again...or will some old feelings get in the way?
1. Chapter 1

**[A/N]: **1st chapter or prologue to my new story. I don't think it turned out exactly the way I wanted and I may end up changing some things, but it's as done as done can be. Not sure when the next chapter will be out, but I wanted to see what you guys thought.

**I hope you enjoy it! :)**

**Dedications:**

**My Lil Sis again. lol She spurs all my ideas on. ^^;;**

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**_You Again_**

Cobalt green eyes looked to the sky, a hand coming up to shield them from the bright summer sun. The young girl took a hardy breath of the fresh mountain air. A smile graced her lips, imprinting a dimple on each side of her olive colored cheeks. She tucked a dark brown strand of hair behind her ear, taking in more of the scenery.

"So, this is where you have been hiding?" She mused before picking up her suit case and walking into the bustling town of Echo Village.

**oOo**

Allen snipped away at the mop of hair seated in his chair. He moved with speed and grace; the strands of hair falling away and aligning perfectly against the young woman's head. Afterwards, he primmed and pressed her hair until the honey colored locks shined. He gave his work of art one more glance before turning the girl around to face the mirror. She squealed in delight at the new hair style that had been tailored made just for her.

"Oh, it's wonderful!" She gushed.

"Of course it is. Remember I'll always know what's best for your hair," He took the woman's hand and held it to his lips, barely ghosting over trembling skin. "So, make sure you return to me."

"O-okay," The woman blushed deeply and nodded. Allen smiled as she left the shop in a daze. He pocketed the extra-large tip and turned to the rest of his customers who were sitting on the edge of their seats watching him.

"Who's next?" He asked and all of their hands shot up; waving around in response. He picked up his chart to see who was on the appointment sheet before calling the next name.

"Yes!" The woman hopped up and ran to his seat, grinning like a ditzy school girl. He gave her a charming smile that made her melt into the salon chair.

He had been living here for a little over a year and he already had customers flocking from towns over just to get their hair done by him. It had been so easy that the fun of it was almost sucked away. However, he felt that someone had to bring style to people in the country. Allen chuckled at the thought.

"Is there something funny?" The woman in the chair cooed. Allen smiled at her through the mirror and leaned in close to her ear to whisper some flirtatious comment when something caught his eye. He caught a flash of it in the mirror; a waterfall of shining brown hair, a pleasant smile accompanied by a graceful step that even a goddess would envy.

Allen's head snapped towards the window, his eyes dashing wildly around as he sought the woman out. He only saw a few people moseying through the streets. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he turned back to the mirror.

"Are you okay? You look like you seen a ghost," His client mentioned to his paling face. To Allen, he might as well had, but he played off; distracting the customer with another dazzling smile before he began working on her hair.

It wasn't her. It couldn't be her.

**oOo**

"Guess who?" Allen whispered charmingly into Rio's ear. The blonde tensed at his sudden touch, but she soon relaxed before she scoffed.

"A dead man, if it's who I think it is," Rio removed Allen's hands from her eyes. "You have to stop sneaking up on me. Next time I'll punch your lights out." Rio huffed before blushing lightly when Allen cupped her cheek and moved only an inch away from her lips.

"And miss your blushing cheeks? I think the punishment is worth the reward," He smirked at her frazzled appearance. She pushed him away from her and took an extra step back just in case.

"Don't you get tired of playing around?" Rio crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Allen.

"Actually, I'm not playing around. It's the whole reason I came to find you," Allen straightened himself up, but kept himself as alluring as always. "I want you to go out with me and I mean it, all jokes aside." He confessed, watching Rio's eyes widened. He wasn't expecting Rio to fall over with joy or do cartwheels up and down the street. She may get a little flustered around him, but she was never overeager like the rest of the women who entered into his shop. She would definitely be classier than that when she accepted his invitation, he thought to himself.

However, his overconfidence was his downfall. Rio instantly felt very awkward, unsure of how to answer. She couldn't remember the last time someone had seriously asked her out. She fiddled with her fingers nervously before speaking.

"Well, you see, I can't. I don't really feel that way about you. And, by now you should know that Neil and I…well…" Rio waivered near the end. Initially upset about the rejection, Allen's hopes started to mend themselves back together. Rio liked Neil now, but apparently, they had not become official; despite the rumors floating around. It meant he still had a chance to win her over.

"So, you and Neil…?" He began to question her before colorful movement caught his eye. He looked away, only for a moment; doing a double take when his worst fears had come true. He cursed to himself when their eyes met over the crowd, who didn't even seem to exist. The serene green eyes that had trapped him all those years ago had once again ensnared him. The noisy bustling of the tourists was blocked out as a spark ignited between the two. Allen hastily looked away again when the young woman's face brightened up.

"Allen! Hey, Allen! Over here!" The woman shouted. She was standing in the middle of a crowd, who was looking very strangely at her, but she didn't mind. She stood on her tippy-toes, waving her right hand wildly trying to get his attention. The sheer joy on her face was enough to light an entire country.

"I think that woman is trying to get your attention," Rio stopped looking at the girl, only to catch a glimpse of Allen ducking and running into a bush. He only briefly poked his head out to hold an index finger to his lips and swear Rio to secrecy.

After he was tucked away in his hiding spot, he could hear the sound of running feet that stopped in his previous location. The bush he was in started to feel a lot hotter and he was sweating bullets. His heart was leaving bruises against his ribcage when he heard her angelic voice greet Rio.

"Excuse me ma'am? Did you see a young man over here with red hair and glasses? He was about yay big and…" He heard her give the description to Rio and prayed that Rio would have mercy on him.

"Please don't say anything," He muttered under his breath like it was a mantra.

"Um, well…I…um," Rio hesitated. The woman in front of her looked desperate to find Allen and had been so excited at seeing him only moments ago. She could see the girl shifting from foot to foot, waiting for her answer. "No, I didn't." Rio said quickly before she could stopped herself from lying. Then, she saw all the hope and faith in the world drain from the woman's face and she opened her mouth again.

"But, he owns a hair salon down the street and you might be able to find him there!" Rio said just as quickly to fix her guilt. Allen smacked himself in the forehead at Rio's good heart.

"Really? So, he finally did get his own shop. I'm so happy for him," He heard her merriment. "Do you mind showing me where it is?"

"Sure," Rio answered her and Allen suppressed a groan. He could hear them walking away and when he thought the coast was clear. He let out all his frustration, ready to throw a tantrum on the ground beneath him.

How did she find him?

**oOo**

The sky was turning dark and Allen was still sitting in the bush. He was sitting Indian style, elbow pressed to his knee with his chin resting in his palm of his hand. He was wondering how long he could wait out in this bush before returning home. He had a feeling Elise was already in his shop, twirling in a chair; waiting for him to return.

"Maybe she left by now…" He whispered out loud and scoffed. "As if."

"So, you were here!"

"Aah!" Allen jumped back when the bush was moved aside and Elise's face was right in front of his. "E-Elise!"

"I finally got that Rio girl to tell me where you were. She explained it all to me. Why didn't you tell me you wanted to play hide and go seek?" Elise chuckled while Allen was at a loss of words. The smile on her face said that Elise had bought that story, but the look in her eyes said, "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Well, I know how you like surprises and games so I thought I would mix the two together," He answered her in a suave tone that made the killer look in her eyes melt away. He released a sigh of relief. He stood up and stepped out the bush. Elise was still smiling as if nothing was wrong, but Allen felt very awkward at the moment.

"Did you miss me?" Elise finally said, nibbling her lower lip. Allen frowned and Elise matched his face. "Cause I missed you." She grabbed his hand and Allen resisted the nerve to yank it back. "You left for no reason. I got worried about you when you didn't say anything."

Elise commented and Allen didn't reply. She wanted him to say anything, even if it was just a snarky comment. An explanation would have been better, but Allen just left her hanging. She decided to shock his brain into working.

"If you come back now, we could get married by the end of next week. I have everything ready. I just need to make a phone call to get it all into place," She hummed in delight, feeling Allen's hand jerk away from hers. She had been expecting that and held tightly to him. She used the momentum of his pull to draw herself in closer. They were chest to chest as she hugged him tightly. Anybody watching the scene would think two lovers were embracing each other romantically, but it was anything but.

"What are you talking about? I'm not marrying you," He told her hastily, trying to pry her hands off of him. He didn't know where she would even entertain such a crazy idea.

"The more you push me away, the more I want to hold you tighter," She snuggled into his chest as if she was going to meld into one with him. "After all this time you're still so shy."

"Being shy has nothing to do with it," He huffed, his arms falling listlessly to the side as Elise continued to hug him. He let her squeeze the life out of him for a few more seconds before gripping the top of her arms and tugging her away from him. He moved his hand to her shoulders and kept her a safe distance away from him. "Listen Elise, I didn't want to do it this way, but I guess it's the only way you're going to get it."

He looked into her confused eyes harshly. "I left because I was breaking up with you. I don't want anything to do with you. I barely wanted anything to do with you when we were together. Why do you think I would come all the way out here and not say a single thing to you? You need to go back home and move on with your life because I have," He told her firmly. His resolve never quivering once, even when he saw he lower lip tremble.

"But?"

"No buts, leave Elise," He finished and turned away from her. He heard a sniffle and the pounding sound of feet hitting the pavement. He was a little harsher than he wanted to be, but he expected she would get the picture. It might give her enough incentive to actually leave him alone. He sighed to himself and walked back down the path. He sulked around town, not ready to go home.

Despite what he said, Elise was still on his brain. He couldn't believe that she had been looking for him all this time. It had been at least a year since he last saw her. He had tried to let her down easily, but she would still come around and bother him to the point that she was labeled his stalker. It was the reason he had happily accepted Dunhill's offer to have his own shop. It was a dream of his to own his shop and be his own boss. The part of ditching Elise had been a plus.

It wasn't that he didn't love her or had loved her. She would always have a soft spot in his heart, but it was too much to deal with when it came to being with her. He rather just cut his losses and move on. He had new plans for the future and she wasn't in them.

"I hope this doesn't cause any problems with asking Rio out," He grunted in discontent, since Elise had a history of running off most women who he would talk to. "Woman was always causing problems." He complained as he walked into his home, bypassing his salon and heading upstairs. He stopped in his tracks when he came into his bedroom.

There was an open suitcase in the middle of his floor with "girly" items splayed out as if somebody had been digging around in the pile. He smacked his forehead when he saw a trail of discarded clothes heading to his bathroom. He could hear a sweet hum coming from his bathroom, trickles of steam escaping from under the door. He stood apprehensively as the lock clicked and the door knobbed turned. More steam was released when the stranger stepped out.

Allen felt his knees go weak when Elise stepped out the bath room. She had her hair pinned up above her head, her skin a little pinkened from the hot shower. She was wearing the top portion of a light blue pajama top. It stop just at the top of her thighs, leaving her long legs bare.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, looking back up to her face; a small amount of heat coming to his cheeks. Elise gripped the towel around her neck with both hands on each side.

"Well, the inn was full because of some festival and you're the only other person I know here," She shrugged.

"Rod lives here as well," He explained, rolling his eyes.

"Well, you're the only one I know that I _want_ to stay with," She emphasized, though she didn't have anything against Rod. He just wasn't the love of her life. Allen saw a gleam twinkle in her eye. "Plus, I thought you left the door unlocked for me."

"Didn't you hear a word I told you earlier?" He walked closer to her, anger evident on his face. He was to seconds away from throwing her over his shoulder and placing her outside; even if it went against a few of his principles. She was crossing lines now.

Elise just waltzed away from him however.

"Oh, I heard you, but they say quitters never prosper and sometimes you have to look with your heart and not your mind. I had you once and I think I can win you back so I'm staying until I am either fully convinced that you don't want me or you realize yourself that we should still be together."

"You can't stay here," Allen told her, not even bothering to dignify her crazy rambling with an answer. Her lips tightened as she nodded, her eyebrows lifting.

"I'm staying here. What would you mother and sister say to you kicking a young woman out on the street in an unknown town in nothing but the clothes on her back? Which isn't much, mind you," Elise didn't wait for his answer as she walked over to the bed and dove under the sheets, her hand coming out to click the lamp off; leaving the room in darkness and Allen standing there bewildered.

Elise smiled to herself as she heard Allen murmuring curses in the background. The sound of a door opening and closing caught her attention. She opened one eye and saw the outline of him grabbing extra blankets and pillows before he went stomping down the stairs.

Yeah, he was angry with her now, but she was going to win him back soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**[A/N]: **Not much to say, I hope you enjoy this chapter and forgive any grammatical errors! I'm happy that you are enjoying it so far!

**Dedications**

CAPJHMPAgirl, Anonymousgirl88, AquaticSilver, Muchtrenchcoat, Naruka Uzumaki-Namikaze, and TitleTextHere

**I really appreciate all the reviews, favorites, and follows! :)**

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**_Familiar Feelings_**

Elise awoke the next morning with a familiar warm feeling. Someone was softly stroking her hair. Their fingertips sending shivers down her spine. She slowly opened her eyes and caught Allen sitting at the edge of the bed. He was hovering over her, watching her sleep.

"Not that I'm not enjoying this, but it is a little creepy since we're not together or have you changed your mind already?" Elise murmured as she closed her eyes, nuzzling closer to his hand.

"Don't count on it. It's just your hair feels different," Allen took his hand away and Elise sat up in bed. She held a few strands of hair up, tilting her head in an awkward position as she attempted to stare at the strands.

"Everything seems the same to me," She commented, not seeing too much of difference in it.

"It's not. Whoever has been doing your hair is very sloppy at it. It's nowhere near where it used to be," Allen rolled his eyes when Elise's eyes bugged out in an almost comical fashion. She kept running her hands through her hair.

"Jean Paul is an elite stylist back in the city!" She pursed her lips and stopped fiddling with her hair. "I mean I know it's a little different, but…um…" Elise paused. The air in the room had taken a sudden chill. Allen wasn't looking at her, but she could read the animosity in the air.

"You let another man touch your hair?" He asked her calmly, but the malice was there.

"Well, of course, you weren't around and it was getting too long," Elise rolled her eyes.

"So, that's an excuse to go see someone else," Allen shot back.

"Hey, don't get mad at me! It's not like you were planning on coming back. I'd be up to my ankles in hair if I waited on you," Elise crossed her arms as she and Allen glared at each other. Elise broke first by frowning. "She picked at a loose string on the comforter. "I really did wait for you, you know? You don't think it was awkward for me to have to go to somebody else? It's never felt the same."

The room went silent. Elise waited to hear what Allen had to say, but he only frowned. He swallowed the lump in his throat and met her gaze.

"Yeah…sorry…I guess…" Allen half-apologized. Elise scoffed, knowing Allen wasn't going to admit he was wrong anytime too soon. She shot him a side-way glance.

"Well, why don't you style it now?"

Allen looked thoughtful for a moment, a tempted gleam in his eye. She could see his fingers twitching at the thought, but instead of agreeing, he shook his head. "No, I can't," He said softly, rising from the bed.

"What? You don't want to cut it because someone else did?" Elise protested. She didn't see why he was so upset with her. She should be the one getting ready to storm out.

"Yeah, sure," Allen walked away. "I need to open up my shop."

He left her alone, his footsteps treading gently down the stairs. Elise let out a huff of air and plopped back into the mattress. She wasn't entirely sure what had just happened. It's one thing to cheat on your stylist, but when your stylist was your boyfriend, it might as well been cheating in the relationship as a whole. But, Allen didn't consider them in a relationship anymore, so maybe she was putting too much thought into it.

"What are you thinking?" She asked out loud, eyes to the ceiling as if it had all the answers. She sighed and rolled over to her side. "Of course, it's not that way anymore…"

**oOo**

"Allen, darling, what's wrong? I never seen you look so down," A middle age woman in a finely pressed suit crooned over to Allen. "Maybe I could perk you up." She purred, her hand reaching to stroke his cheek. Allen smiled subtly, honing in any walk-off-a-cliff comment he had brimming on his lips. She was a customer that tipped well and invited her even better tipping friends along. It was one of the few annoyances of being the handsome hairstylist he was.

"Don't you think you're too old for him?" Then, there was the other one. Elise was standing behind the woman, a look of discontent on her face.

"Excuse me?" The customer turned around, incredulous that someone would talk to her in that way. Allen could already feel the throbbing at his temple.

"And, what would your husband say?" Elise pointed to the shining diamond centered on the woman's finger. "How can you promise yourself to another man and then walk around flirting with any red head who sashays into your life?"

"Hey, I don't sashay!" Allen interjected.

"Young lady, what I do in my life is none of your business," The woman replied haughtily.

"Oh it is when it involves this guy," Elise pointed a finger to Allen. "What if your husband got mad and tried to kill him or break his legs or-"

"Just stop talking and go over there," Allen motioned Elise towards the other side of the store. She still looked miffed, but walked away. It took Allen a couple of minutes to talk the woman down, but she left with no animosity. Prepping another customer, Allen thought he had finally got everything under control when a shout came from the other side of the shop.

"How dare you?!" Allen put his comb and scissors down to go see what the commotion was. He saw Elise and another customer sparing off. The woman looked hurt and angry while Elise looked surprise before she scowled and said something back. Allen took a step in front of them.

"Ladies, what is going on over here?" He tried to remedy the situation; though, he had a feeling Elise was the offender in the situation.

"This woman openly insulted me for no reason," The customer chimed in first. Elise shook her head.

"I didn't try too. I only told her that with her skin complexion, age, and style that that color of hair dye would be extremely bad for her. She's just being sensitive," She insisted. Allen looked at the bottle in the woman's hands and sighed, shaking his head. It was a bad color and would look horrible, even if he was her stylist.

"Elise, go over there," He pointed to the other side of the store.

"I just came from over there," She pointed out as she pouted, making her way back to the other side of the room. Allen turned back to the woman and turned on his charms, hoping to appease her.

"I'm sorry you had to experience that. I promise she want every bother you again," He reached for palm, stroking it softly with his thumb. "I don't think that dye's right for you," He explained, using his other hand he took the dye away and placed it back on the shelf before clasping her hands together. He pulled her closer. He saw the woman's cheeks turn bright pink. "Allow me to give you a special treatment that will truly bring out your beauty." He whispered softly, watching the woman's blush change to a darker hue as she let herself be led away. He sat her in the chair and went over to Elise, who had crossed her arms. She was stomping one foot with her lips pursed tightly.

"That's exactly what I told her. Why is she mad at me and not you?" Elise complained, throwing her heads up heatedly.

"Because when it comes to dealing with customers, you have to be more subtle or else they won't come back," Allen glowered at Elise. She was making his customers angry left and right. Therefore, she needed to go. He placed an open palm on her back.

"Lissie," He cooed her pet name he had for her. He saw the anger on her face instantly wash away. She eyed him suspiciously, but he saw her guard slowly slip away. While she was distracted, he walked her towards the door. "I see you're trying to help, but you're bad at what you're doing."

"But-!"

"Wait," He stopped her for speaking. "I see you're trying hard and I decided I figured out the perfect way for you to help."

"Oh, what did you come up with?" Elise's ears perked up at that. She was really excited to hear what he had to say. She was surprised, however, to have Allen push her out the front door.

"I've decided that you're not allowed in here during business hours; unless, you have an appointment," He smiled at her as her jaw dropped.

"Well, give me an appointment," She pouted.

"Can't, I'm backed up for the next four months," He boasted with a smirk while Elise glowered in indignation.

"Then, what am I supposed to do?" Elise whined. She didn't know anything about this place.

"Go bother Rod," Allen told her as he closed the door.

"But, I don't know where he is!"

"This gives you a good time to explore the village," His muffled voice came from behind the glass. He waved at her as she stormed off. She missed the "And, hopefully, get lost," comment.

**oOo**

"Stupid Allen, I was just trying to help," Elise pouted around the town. She was sure that she had gone in a circle. She sighed to herself and shook off her anger. She was going to see what this town had to offer and be happy. After all, she didn't have anywhere else to go. If she couldn't make something work here, she would be up a creek without a paddle. She refused to go running back home. "I'll find something to do…as soon as I find out where I am."

She glanced around her surroundings, maybe she should ask someone. And, as if on cue, Rio came ambling up the path. She had a covered basket in her hand and was looking cheerful as ever.

"Oh Rio!" She ran over to the young blonde. Rio stopped in the middle of the path and waited for Elise to catch up.

"Oh, hey, um…Elise, right?" Rio asked while Elise nodded happily. "How are you liking the town?"

"Oh, it's very nice. You did a wonderful job on it," Elise commented, remembering a few murmurings on Rio's successful resurrection of the town. "Which reminds me, you wouldn't happen to know where Rod is?"

"Yeah, I can show you. He works next to Neil. They set up at about the same time so he should still be there," Rio agreed to lead the way for her.

"Who's Neil?"

"Oh, he's my boyfriend," Rio said shyly with a smile. Elise looked down at the basket in her hands.

"So, you're bringing him his lunch?" Elise grinned coyly. "That's so adorable." Her smile deepened when she saw Rio flush 10 shades of red.

"It's embarrassing when you say it like that," Rio spazzed out at her teasing. She had never had a serious boyfriend so the thought of claiming Neil as her own still turned her red as a cherry.

"Don't worry. I won't say anything else," Elise laughed it off as she and Rio continued to the plaza. When Elise came up the hill, she immediately spotted Rod and took off to meet him, grabbing the unsuspecting boy in a tight hug.

"Elise, what are you doing here?" Rod asked as he returned her hug.

"It's a long story," She murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her hair. "So, you have a pet shop?" She quickly changed the subject.

"Yeah, you want to pet any of them?" Rod asked with a chipper grin. Elise looked over into the pen. She was going to reach for a friendly looking puppy when she saw a cat start to walk in her direction. She quickly snatched her hand back. Rod laughed.

"You're still afraid of cats?"

"Well, I wouldn't be if they didn't hate me," Elise shuddered. It never failed. Any cat that got close to her would immediately turn on her for no reason. She was sure she wasn't doing anything wrong which is why she eyed Rod suspiciously when he lifted a tiny cat out the pen.

"Here. Just try to pet him," He said calmly. Elise gulped as the cat mewled in her direction. She approached it cautiously before reaching her hand out to it. She had almost reached the cat's head when it took a swing at her with its paw. The shock of the attack sent Elise flailing back.

"Aah!" She shrieked as she caught herself, thankfully she didn't fall. Rod immediately put the cat back down and went over to her.

"Are you okay? I don't know what happened. He's usually the gentlest one in the bunch," Rod apologized over and over again to Elise.

"No, it's fine. I already knew it wouldn't worked, but thanks for trying," She tried to calm Rod down. He was more worried about her than she was her own self.

"Can you keep it down over there?" Both of their heads snapped to the booth set up next to Rod. The guy Rio was standing next, who Elise could only assume was Neil, was looking angrily at them. Apparently, they were interrupting his meal. Elise could only feel a comment brimming on her tongue when Rio spoke next.

"Sorry about him, he a little testy when he's hungry," Rio explained to her and Neil scoffed.

"I don't see what I did wrong…" He murmured under his breath and Elise held back a chuckle. Her first impression of the guy was that he was a jerk, but she watched him pout cutely while munching on his lunch. She couldn't help, but think that there was something more there. It was the only she could understand why Rio might be with him.

It reminded her of Allen. The guy was known for his snarky remarks. He was flirty with his customers, but outside of work, it was another story. She wasn't a huge fan of his when they first met, but he grew on her, letting her see a different side of him. It made her sad that he was sheltering it again and pushing her away. Maybe she was facing a lost cause.

She frowned to herself, but Rod caught it.

"How about we go talk somewhere else?" He asked, leading her out the plaza silently. They ended up sitting on a bench a little ways over from prying eyes. Elise had explained the gist of the past day or so to him.

"I feel like I'm chasing after nothing. It's actually kind of getting a little embarrassing. I had this worked out so much better in my head. I said that even if he rejects me I would still fight, but it's much different to see him glaring me down like that."

"Have you ever thought about going back home?" Rod questioned.

"Trying to get rid of me already too?" Elise huffed and Rod shook his quickly.

"No, I was just wondering is all," He babbled, not wanting to make her angry. Elise laughed to show that she was only joking before she looked down grimly.

"I can't. Not anymore…" Elise admitted. "And, I don't really want to. I'd like to move out and find my own thing. I want to find my own hopes and dreams. Allen used to be in them, but I guess that's one dream already unsuccessful." She sighed out loud.

Rod watched her carefully before speaking next. "You know I really don't like to get between you and Allen." He pointed out as he continued. "But, Echo Village is a good place to start anew. There are a lot of friendly people here and plenty of things to do. I'm sure you can find something you really like to do. You know I will always be there to help you if you need anything."

"Thanks!" Elise perked up. "You're right. I'm sure it's something out here that can inspire me." She jumped out of her seat renewed. "I'll get started today!"

"That's the spirit!" Rod cheered with her.

**oOo**

Allen was wandering around Echo Village in search of a certain brunette. He had closed shop early because no matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop thinking about Elise. He had expected her to come back in less than 30 minutes to get back in the shop, probably making a claim about wanting to be near him. She never came though. He had begun to really worry that she did get lost. That maybe she wondered into the forest and gotten eaten by a bear or something. The thought bothered him so much that he ended up cutting a client's hair way too short and way uneven. Luckily, he convinced her that asymmetrical bobs were in this season.

"Where is that woman?" He mumbled in annoyance. He finally noticed her sitting on a bench alone in the shade. She was concentrating hard on a book in her hands. He couldn't remember the last time that she had actively tried to read a hard cover book. She would read romance and fantasy novels from time to time, but judging by the size and age of the book, he wasn't sure what to expect.

"She couldn't have been that bored without me," He thought out loud. Shooting another glance at Elise, he decided to be nice. He sauntered over to her and took a seat, not to close so she didn't get the wrong idea, but enough to get her attention.

"Hey, Elise, I was wondering if you wanted to get dinner since I have nothing better to do," Allen maintained a cool demeanor. He was expecting her to turn to him with a brilliant smile and excitedly say yes. The scene never came.

"Oh no, that's okay. You go ahead," Elise waved him off, not looking up from her book.

"What do you mean it's okay? And, what are you reading?" Allen blurted out in shock at being snubbed. He looked at the cover. "A Guide to Agriculture?"

"Yep," Elise nodded her head enthusiastically. "Rio said she would teach me some things about farming."

"Why? You don't even like dirt," Allen commented and Elise frowned.

"That's true, but…"

"And, you hate to break a sweat and I can't imagine you sporting overalls."

"Well, yeah…"

"And, there are bugs…lots of them."

Elise swallowed harshly at the thought of tiny creatures, with tinier legs and feelers. She shuddered and closed her book.

"Okay, maybe farming won't be for me, but I got to try. Plus, I've been doing some thinking."

Allen's frowned deepened, never liking it when Elise just does some thinking. She caught the look on his face and stuck her tongue out.

"It's not that bad. It might make you happy really…" She murmured the last part. Allen's ears opened at the sadness in her voice, but he didn't say anything; allowing her to speak. "I still have feelings for you and as much as I would love to make you love me back, it might not be possible," She lamented. "But, I still like this town and would like to stay in it. I want to find some way to bring my own little piece to it. So, please let me stay with you for a little while; until, I can get my own place at least."

"Won't your dad be upset that you decided to stay in some small town all the way out here?"

Elise scowled. "Don't worry about him. I'm done with him deciding my life. That's why I left."

"And, he just let you leave? Just like that?" Allen asked incredulously. Elise fidgeted in her seat.

"Well…he kind of said some other things, but you don't need to worry about them," Elise looked like she wanted to cry. However, she didn't let a tear drop; not this time.

"You don't have to hold back…" _You know I won't look down on you_, he almost added, thinking it was best to keep it to himself. He wasn't sure if comforting her would be the right thing because he still didn't want her to get the wrong idea.

"No, it's okay. I don't want to burden you anymore," She explained.

"It's just…it's not like you," Allen spoke before he could stopped himself. He cursed inwardly when Elise looked at him to continue. "To just quit like that I mean…"

Elise's brow scrunched in confusion.

"Why does it matter to you?" She asked, but waited for no answer. "Plus, I'm not quitting. I'm rearranging my plans and goals. You just won't be in them…" She ended sadly, looking away from Allen.

Allen unconsciously moved closer to her. It was a reflex. He knew the difference between when _his girl_ was throwing a temper tantrum and when she was deeply upset. He hated it even more when he knew it was because of him.

"Elise…" He started, reaching a hand to her, but it didn't make contact. She rose from her seat and tucked the book under her arm.

"Sorry, I need to go," She rebuffed him and walked away before he could reply. Allen watched her walk down the path. He was so focused on her that he didn't hear a certain farmer sneaking up on him.

"How can you just let her go like that?" Rio tried to hide her grin when she saw Allen tense. It was the first time she ever snuck up on him. Allen turned his head to see Rio standing behind the bench with a smug sense of self satisfaction.

"Feel like you've finally achieved something in your life, huh?" He chided her for catching him off guard.

"Eh, it's one of the few things left on my list," She counter, unaffected by the attitude. Being in a relationship with Neil would do that to you. Allen shrugged it off and returned his eyes to the path Elise was now long gone from. "Aren't you worried she might get a new guy? You know some rich handsome guy? Hm, I think Amir is still single. You think you could compete with a prince?" Rio rambled on and on, probably trying to agitate him as some form of payback.

"I could care less about who she dates. Not only that, I'm not worried about it being some foreign prince. I'd be more concerned if he was just a normal guy," Allen scoffed as he let the comment slip.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rio asked, taking a seat next Allen. He watched Rio carefully for a second before relenting to her question.

"…Elise comes from a good family," Allen started. "Her father hates my guts and would parade all kinds of rich guys around her. Even set her up on a few surprise dates," He sighed, tilting his head and closing his eyes in nostalgia. "But, she would always come back to me. A hair stylist who was still cutting hair out of his mother's house."

Rio had no response. She had never heard Allen speak so poorly of himself. She figured he would say something like, "How dare they not want a great hair stylist like me in the family?" but the rejection of her family seemed to really bother him. She wondered if that might be why they were no longer together. After all, they both still obviously had feelings for each other.

"Well, you must still like her too," Rio decided she wasn't going to believe any negative response he might have to the comment.

"Why would you say that?" Allen straightened his posture in a nonchalant way.

"Because I have been sitting here for over five minutes and you haven't come on to me," Rio theorized which caused Allen to smirk.

"You feeling lonely already? Going to ditch Neil and finally trade up?" Allen moved closer to Rio on the bench, but she stood up.

"No, I am not, but I am going to tell Elise about this," Rio threatened.

"You wouldn't dare," Allen replied quickly and this time Rio smirked at his distress.

"Why does it matter? I thought you didn't care about her like that."

"You know you just missed out on a really good thing tonight," Allen boasted before leaving a laughing Rio. He wasn't in the mood for her teasing. He didn't feel that way about Elise anymore. He told himself before he came all the way to Echo Village that it would be completely over, no matter how much his heart revved up around her or how memories of them together would cause a smile to tug at his lips. Things would be better this way.

Besides, if she ever found out the truth about their break up, she would hate him forever.


	3. Chapter 3

**[A/N]:** Hi, everyone! :3 I'm finally getting somewhere with my story. Also, this story might reference to some thing in my Neil story Lovely Moon. You won't have to read it to get this. If it's something important, I'll fine a way to explain it in this story. I hope you enjoy! Have a **_HAPPY_** and _**SAFE**_ holiday!

_**Dedications**_

Icefeather, CAPJHMPAgirl, Karisma Jestler, AquaticSilver, and Shaqiena.

Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I really appreciate them~! Especially some of the ones about Elise. xD

* * *

**_Trial and Error_**

It was early in the morning. Allen was sleeping peacefully on the couch, or as peacefully as he could. It was a couch after all. He was drifting somewhere between sleep and conscious when the strong odor of smoke wafted from the upstairs kitchen. He was immediately on his feet, the blood rush causing him to stumble at first, but he quickly made his way upstairs.

He paused at the scene. A frazzled Elise was covered in sauce, flour, and tears as she waved an apron around trying to put out a fire on the stove. Once it was smothered, she had reached into the stove to grab a pan, but she forgot the mitt and dropped it. The contents of the pan scattered the floor as Elise held her hand under the sink, cursing the whole way.

Allen sighed and went to turn everything on the stove off. He grabbed a first aid kit and went to tend to Elise's wound. She sniffled slightly as he wrapped her hand.

"I'm not going to feel bad for you. You know you burn water and yet you're in here. You could have burned my house down," Allen chided her and Elise pouted. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and sighed before wiping her brow of sweat, wiping more flour on her forehead.

"I know. I'm sorry," She frowned. "It's just Chef Clement said those were basic recipes and I thought I could do it, but apparently I fail at this too."

"It's only your first try, right?" Allen asked.

"…Yeah…first try," Elise answered suspiciously. She wasn't going to tell Allen about the other failed attempts that nearly burned his house down as well.

"Give me this," Allen grabbed the cookbook and chucked it out the window. He could tell enough about her posture to know what she was thinking. The girl wasn't going to lie her way out of this.

"I'll clean it up," Elise sighed.

"Of course you will. Make sure it's up before I get back," Allen remarked, getting up to leave. "I mean it. All these things you're doing are causing me a lot of strife."

Elise frowned as he left and took out a piece of paper before scratching something out. It was her list of things she wanted to try. So far, not much was working out. The first was farming. Elise had run off as soon as a bee hovered near her. She tried helping Rod at the pet shop, but the cats wouldn't stop scratching her and Neil was getting angry with her. She tried to learn about architecture from Rebecca but accidently spilt a bottle of ink on some blueprints, ruining them. She ended up sulking at Chez Clement and talked him into a small cooking lesson. It had been so easy when he was helping, but now everything was a mess.

"I'm not good at anything," She whispered, grabbing a towel.

**oOo**

Allen was feeling a bit odd. It was his off day and usually he would be spending it with a beautiful woman on his arm. He had been hoping it would be Rio. His plans to steal her away were being shot down more and more whenever he noticed how lovey-dovey she and Neil would get around town. They were both idiots when it came to love and the naivety showed sometime as disgustingly sweet as it was.

Then, there was Elise. He didn't even know where to begin with her. This morning had been pure hell for him. All her attempts to find herself was causing problems. He didn't know how much more he could take and by the look on her face, she was starting to wear herself down as well.

"Maybe I should do something to cheer her up," He thought out loud before dispelling the thought. "Stupid, she's fine on her own. I just need to make it enough for her to turn tail and run away." He looked at his watch before heading back home. He figured he had made Elise wait long. Allen was hoping some alone time would make her think her situation over some more.

He walked into the shop to see Elise resting in one of the styling chairs. She was sprawled out in it, still looking like a complete mess from this morning. She poke open an eye at the sound of the bell chiming before closing it again. She was way too tired to greet Allen.

"Why are you down here?" He asked as he walked over to her.

"The upstairs smells like cleaning supplies. I…I might have used more than the recommended dosage and everything needs to be aired out. It should be clear in another 30 minutes or so," She sighed, sitting up and stretching. "So, tired."

"You're hopeless you know that?" Allen pushed his glasses up and crossed his arms.

"Don't remind me," Elise rolled her eyes, wondering why Allen was being particular hostile to her today. Yeah, she almost burned down his house, but who hasn't done something like that before?

Elise pursed her look and caught a glance of her reflection in the mirror. "I look terrible."

"It's true. You look like the Wicked Witch of the West," Allen said in a bored tone as he swiped something green off her cheek. "What is this?"

"Who knows?" Elise commented, still looking herself over in the mirror. "If my friends back home could see me now, they'd be laughing in their stilettos."

"Yep, you're truly an embarrassment to the world of fashion right now," Allen agreed. He flipped through a magazine while Elise continued to beat herself up. A little more pushing and he might be free of her which was made even clearer by the sniffling.

"Are you crying?" Allen put the magazine down and watched as Elise looked away and wiped her eyes.

"No…Yeah, but not because of how I look okay?" She quickly pointed out. "I mean I don't need designer clothes and hair styles to define me. The way I look now means I'm trying and I have character."

Allen held his chin and looked at her thoughtfully. "No, you look like a character…out of a bad cartoon."

He saw her lower lip trembled and as much as Allen wanted to be a cad, he couldn't help but feel horrible at the way he was making her feel. He wanted her to pack up and leave, not feel completely horrible about herself. He took Elise's hand and sat her down in one of his chairs.

"What…?"

"Just let me do what I do best," He smirked at her and she flushed a bit. Allen went to touch her hair and she tensed. It had been a while since she had been in his chair and it made her nervous. Most people wouldn't see this as a big deal, but there was always something about moments like this that made Elise happy in the past. It gave her an inner peace that she couldn't describe. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to relax into the chair.

Allen's nimble fingers worked though her hair and Elise felt lost to the world. She was kind of sad when he finally twirled her around in the chair to face the mirror. Allen had snipped and trimmed her hair into beautiful long layers that framed her face perfectly. The new style almost made up for the food and stains caking her face. She smiled at the image, but was still disappointed she cared this much about her looks. She felt Allen's fingers slide under her chin, lifting her face to meet his eyes.

"You know, there's nothing wrong with trying hard and looking good while doing it. Just look at me," Allen told her.

"Please, you make this hair styling thing look easy. It's very misleading," Elise chuckled.

"True, but I've been working at it for a long time so don't give up alright?" He smiled at her.

"Alright," Elise agreed with him. He was glad that he had cheered her up; despite it being his fault for upsetting her. It just seemed like a natural instinct to try and bring a smile to her face which brought his attention to her lips. The same sweet lips that were like a drug that continuously called to him even after all this time. He saw Elise nibble her lips nervously and he lifted his eyes to meet hers once again, a light blush spread over her cheeks. She was just too adorable, dried food and all. He moved in closer, only stopping when Elise went to speak.

"I just remembered something…"

"What is it?" Allen mused, not realizing how close he had been coming to kiss her and ruining his own plans.

"I was supposed to meet Rod for lunch today," Elise hopped up, barely swiping Allen in the forehead. "I hope I won't be too late."

"What? Hey, wait!" Allen called after her. Elise poked her head back from half-way down the stairs.

"Something the matter?"

"You're going on a date, right now?"

"Not a date date. Just a lunch date between friends," She summed it up, but to Allen, he still heard date. He sat in the styling chair and pouted, cheeks resting against his hands as he waited for Elise to come back downstairs. Moments later, Elise came bounding back downstairs in a casual, but trendy summer outfit.

"Aren't you a little dressy to just being going out to meet a _friend_?" Allen scowled, catching Elise's signature scent of White Roses.

"Maybe, but you gave me such a gorgeous hairstyle, I thought I needed an outfit to match it," Elise smiled as she gave him a quick peck on the lips before backing up and babbling like an idiot. "Sorry! Sorry! It was a force of habit."

"Don't worry. It's okay…" Allen coughed uncomfortably as he licked his lips.

"It's not," Elise chattered on. "I promise I won't do it again!" She grabbed her bag and left in a hurry, leaving Allen alone with his thoughts.

He touched his lips, missing Elise already. Then, he remembered she was on a date with his best friend. "It's just a lunch date between friends." He sat in his chair, determined not to react. "But, it's still a date." He sighed as he stood up.

**oOo**

Allen felt like a fool. Being a stalker was beneath him, but he had to make sure nothing funny was going on, on this date. Sure, he and Elise were no longer together and he doubt Rod would make a move on his Ex. even if he felt that way about her which Allen figured he didn't. However, that didn't stop a green little monster from boosting up his obsessive thoughts. So, what was he to do?

His first thought was to just show up, but that would make things awkward. He was going to hide in a nearby bush, but he wasn't that desperate…Plus, it was too far away for him to see. The only person he knew with binoculars was Rio and he didn't want to explain what he needed them for. So, here he was. He was sitting in a disguise designed by Yuri in an attempt to spy on his ex-girlfriend and his best friend making goo-goo eyes at each other in the middle of the plaza. They were talking over desert at Olivia's Tea House.

Allen almost bent his spoon in half as he watched Elise swipe a cherry off her sundae with her spoon and feed it to Rod, who happily accepted the indirect kiss. Allen tried to calm himself down. He knew Elise hated cherries and would always give them away to him. However, that didn't mean she had to use her spoon to feed it to him and why did she have to look all cutesy while doing it?

They were still chatting away happily. He couldn't hear what they were saying. He didn't want to get to close and risk giving himself away. Then, he saw Rod get very flustered. He looked a bit melancholy, but Elise reached a hand over the table and covered his, offering him a reassuring smile which turned Rod around instantly. Elise moved to a chair closer to Rod and Allen didn't want to see anymore. He stood up immediately. His chair scrapping loudly through the plaza as he stormed off. He could feel eyes on him, but he didn't care. The scene was too much to look at right now.

He was storming back into the town when a familiar figure caught his eye. It was a lightly tanned man with chestnut brown hair that was slick to the back. He was about the height of Allen, maybe a little taller. He was munching on a giant cookie he bought from a stand, stopping to wipe some of the crumbs off his black, tailored suit.

"Why are you still hanging around here?" Allen stopped to talk to the guy. He took off his sunglasses and hat so Jay would recognize him.

"The food," Jay shrugged when he realized Allen wasn't a threat. "Plus, I'm here to do a favor for someone. I'm sure you know who."

"Either way, it has nothing to do with me," Allen sighed, knowing how wrong he was. Jay just smirked as he read his mind.

"Don't worry about it so much. It's not from the Boss. I just had to do a survey and make sure everything is okay. I see she's safe so I'll take my leave now," Jay gave him a short wave and walked away. Allen frowned as he watched him go. He had never expected to meet Jay up here last year, but wasn't surprised when it was because of business. However, Allen had been shocked to hear she had problems with the mob. It took a lot to get everything back to normal around here so to have him showing up again was disheartening.

"I thought that was you," Allen snapped his head around to see Elise watching him curiously. "Are you okay? If you wanted to eat lunch with us, you have just said so or came over to join us."

"Tch, I didn't want to interrupt anything," Allen sneered.

"Interrupt what? If anything we probably could have used your help."

"Help with what?"

"Uh, never mind. You might not think it was important. It was a matter of the heart," Elise said with a faint blush and a smile; apparently happy about whatever they had talked about.

"Why wouldn't that be important to me? I could have still helped," Allen feigned interest. He wanted to see where Elise was going with this, but she looked away thoughtfully.

"It's just…you like to play around a lot. I get that now," She confessed and Allen eyes narrowed.

"Is that what you think I did with you?"

"Well…isn't it? You said it yourself, you never really felt that way about me," Elise's confusion was evident in her tone. Allen didn't like that she had drew the conclusion of him. He may have flirted with a few customers for tips, but he was pretty sure they knew it was all an act. It was a way that he never acted with Elise. There was nothing fake about their relationship at the time.

"I never…" Allen started, but stopped himself. "Yeah, you're right. It is stupid. Plus, when Rod gets hung up on a girl, he can get pretty annoying. He'll never stop talking about her. It's disgusting."

"I think it's kind of sweet," Elise laughed.

"A girly girl like you would. You have way too many expectations of romance," Allen sighed. "So, who is she?"

"It's a secret. A grouch like you wouldn't understand it," She grinned, a finger pressed to her lips. She grabbed Allen's arm and lead him down the street. "You didn't eat anything at the shop, but tea right? How about I whip you something up?"

"I rather eat dirt," Allen smirked.

"Dirt it is," Elise let go of his arm. "I was good at mud pies when I was child. I'll head home right now and start looking for some acorns." She said running off.

"She's not serious is she?" Allen asked out loud before running towards his house. Somehow, he had a strong feeling his kitchen would covered in mud in a few minutes.


End file.
